Steak Doneness Guide: Temperatures, Feel and USDA Guidance

Ask ten people how they like a steak and you will get ten opinions. Some want it barely warm in the middle, and some will not touch anything pink. The trouble is that most people cook steak by guess, and a guess is often wrong. The sure way to get the doneness you want is to cook to temperature using an instant-read thermometer. It is the cheapest upgrade a home cook can make.

This guide gives you the temperature targets for each doneness, explains carryover heat and resting, shows the old finger test and covers USDA safety guidance. Angus beef is well known for marbling, and good marbling is forgiving, but the principles apply to any steak. If you want to find local beef producers and butchers, agriculture.directory can help you find agriculture events in your area.

The Doneness Chart

These are the final temperatures cooks commonly aim for, measured in the thickest part of the steak. Preferences vary a little between sources:

• Rare: about 120 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool red center.
• Medium rare: about 130 to 135. Warm red center, the most popular choice among steak lovers.
• Medium: about 140 to 145. Warm pink center.
• Medium well: about 150 to 155. Slightly pink center.
• Well done: about 160 and above. Little or no pink.

These ranges are for your preference, not necessarily for food safety. See the safety section below.

USDA Guidance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking whole cuts of beef, including steaks, roasts and chops, to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, measured with a food thermometer, followed by a three-minute rest, and cooking ground beef to 160. You can see the guidance on the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service chart. Many steak lovers eat steak below 145 by preference. That is a personal risk decision, and people at higher risk, such as young children, older adults, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems, should follow USDA guidance. Mechanically tenderized steaks need extra care, so check the label.

Carryover Heat and Resting

A steak keeps cooking after you take it off the heat, because the hot outer layers continue to move heat toward the center. This carryover can add roughly 5 to 10 degrees, more for thick cuts and high heat, so pull the steak a few degrees before your target. Let it rest on a board for about five minutes before cutting, which lets the juices redistribute. Tent it loosely with foil if the kitchen is cold, but do not wrap it tightly, since steam softens the crust.

Use a Good Thermometer

An instant-read digital thermometer is the best tool. Insert the probe through the side of the steak into the center of the thickest part, avoiding bone and fat pockets, which can give false readings. For thin steaks, insert at an angle to reach the center. Keep the thermometer clean, and check its accuracy occasionally in a glass of ice water, where it should read close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Finger Test

Cooks without a thermometer sometimes use the finger test, comparing the firmness of the steak to the fleshy part of the hand below the thumb. Touch your thumb to each finger in turn: the relaxed pad feels soft like a rare steak, and the pad gets firmer as you move from index to pinky, like medium and well done. It is a rough guide at best. Steak thickness, fat, cut and bone change how a steak feels, so use it only as a backup.

Thick Versus Thin Steaks

Thin steaks, under an inch, cook through quickly, and it is hard to get a good crust before the inside overcooks. Use a very hot pan or grill and cook briefly. Thick steaks, an inch and a half or more, benefit from gentler methods like reverse searing, where you cook in a low oven and finish with a hot sear. Each cut also has its own character, with tender cuts like filet mignon doing well at medium rare, and tougher, leaner cuts like flank or skirt often better thinly sliced against the grain.

Marbling Helps

Marbling, the flecks of intramuscular fat, adds flavor and juiciness and makes steaks more forgiving of slight overcooking. Higher USDA grades like Prime and Choice have more marbling than Select, as explained on the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service grade standards page. Branded programs like Certified Angus Beef share cooking guidance for different cuts. The Angus breed is known for marbling, but grade, aging and cut matter just as much.

Season and Dry the Surface

Salt your steaks well, ideally at least 40 minutes before cooking or the day before, leaving them uncovered in the refrigerator so the surface dries. A dry surface browns better. Pat steaks dry with paper towels before they hit the pan, and heat the pan well before adding the steak.

Common Doneness Mistakes

• Guessing by color. Color can mislead, particularly with some cuts and aging methods.
• Skipping the rest. Cutting too soon lets juices run out.
• Cooking cold steaks straight from the fridge. Let them sit out briefly, but not for hours.
• Poking too much. Moving or piercing steaks repeatedly releases juices and ruins the crust.
• Ignoring carryover. Pull a bit early.
• Overlooking food safety. Wash hands, clean surfaces and keep raw meat separate.

Buying Better Steaks

A good cook can only do so much with a poor steak. Look for even thickness, bright cherry-red color, firm texture and good marbling. Ask your butcher or ranch about how the beef was raised and aged. Farm.fm has a page on what Angus beef is, and for a laugh at the other end of the supply chain, see its humor piece about Tyson restoring a second shift at the Amarillo beef plant.